King Collection

June 1, 1986|By Nancy Pate, Sentinel Book Critic

Skeleton Crew, by Stephen King (NAL/Signet, $4.95): Many of the 22 tales and poems in this collection need more fleshing out, but several show King at his spooky best. ''The Monkey'' captures every child's fear of a seemingly harmless toy, while ''Word Processor of the Gods'' allows an unhappily married man sweet revenge. ''Mrs. Todd's Shortcut'' is a shimmering story about an elderly handyman's fascination with a beautiful summer resident who has a penchant for finding shortcuts.

MURDER WITH A TWIST

The Two Mrs. Grenvilles, by Dominick Dunne (Bantam, $4.50): In this engrossing novel loosely based on a real incident, gold-digger Ann Arden marries wealthy William ''Junior'' Grenville. She takes advantage of him at every turn, and, shortly after he asks for a divorce, ''mistakes'' him for a prowler and kills him. Surprisingly, Junior's dignified mother backs her daughter-in-law's story.

LOST SOULS OF LA

Less Than Zero, by Bret Easton Ellis (Penguin, $5.95): The author, a Bennington College student, surprised the literary world with his kinetic, disturbing tale of a new lost generation. Its members are the rich, careless kids of Los Angeles whose apathy for life is hardly dented by their casual indulgence in drugs and sex.

THE LATEST SPENSER

A Catskill Eagle, by Robert B. Parker (Dell, $3.95): Parker's wisecracking private eye, Spenser, spends most of his time here desperately seeking Susan Silverman, who may or may not have been kidnapped. The book is long on action and violence and short on substance. Avid Spenser fans will enjoy it, but newcomers to the series should seek earlier installments.

THE SACKETT SAGA

Jubal Sackett, by Louis L'Amour (Bantam, $3.95): L'Amour has written 17 other novels featuring various members of the Sackett clan. In this one, he concentrates on a wilderness explorer who, while living and fighting among the Indian tribes, carves out a reputation as a powerful medicine man.